PATERNAL PRECONCEPTIONAL RADIATION EXPOSURE IN THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY AND LEUKEMIA AND NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA IN YOUNG-PEOPLE IN SCOTLAND

Objective-To determine if a relation exists between paternal exposure to relatively high levels of radiation in the Scottish nuclear industr y and the risk of leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in subsequently conceived children. Design-Matched case-control study with three cont rols for each case. Setting-The whole of Scotland. Subjects-The father s of 1024 children with leukaemia and 237 children with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosed in Scotland below the age of 25 among those born in Scotland since nuclear operations began (in 1958) and the fathers of 3783 randomly chosen controls. The fathers of 80 children with leukaem ia and 16 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in north Cumbria were also cover ed since some workers at one Scottish nuclear site live over the borde r in that area. Details of all fathers were then matched against recor ds of the nuclear industry. Main outcome measures-Paternal preconcepti onal radiation exposures, particularly relatively high levels, both li fetime and in the six and three months before conception. Results-No s ignificant excess was observed in any subgroup and there was no signif icant trend: fathers of three controls but no cases were exposed to li fetime preconceptional levels of 100 mSv or greater (Fisher's exact p value 0.84). In the six months before conception, fathers of two cases and three controls received 10 mSv or more, odds ratio 2.3 (95% confi dence interval 0.31 to 17.24). In the three months before conception t he fathers of one case and two controls received 5 mSv or more, odds r atio 1.7 (0.10 to 30.76). The results for leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma combined were similar. Conclusion-No significant excess of le ukaemia or of leukaemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was found at any ra diation level in any preconceptional period.